Online marketing agency Traffika, with the Asia-Pacific Centre for Franchising Excellence, have launched an initiative to build and support Australia’s franchise sector through social media.
Online marketing, and in particular social media, is transforming the franchise landscape by providing a channel to not just consumers but also potential franchise buyers, said Traffika managing director Matt Forman.
“In April 2011 alone, there were 453,000 searches on Google Australia for franchisee opportunities,” he noted. “Networks like Facebook and LinkedIn offer various franchisee recruitment opportunities and can give businesses a serious competitive edge.”
By tapping into social networks, franchises can reach consumers and buyers at a fraction of the cost of traditional means.
“Social media has become a popular medium for franchise development and consumer marketing, allowing businesses to make instant meaningful connections, extend their reach and tap into new markets,” said Forman.
“Social media has become a forum for consumers to discuss brands and find local deals. For businesses, this means that there is a real time opportunity to engage directly with their customers, fix potential issues and offer time and location sensitive deals.”
The Asia-Pacific Centre for Franchising Excellence, which is an extension of the Griffith Business Faculty, will host a talk by Forman at the 2011 Franchise Forum, ‘Rebuilding Franchise Profits’. He will address ways franchises can use social media to find potential franchisees. The forum will be held on Friday 27 May at the Griffith University’s South Bank Campus.
The centre works with industry, government and professional associations to offer research, education and training to further the franchise sector within Australia and internationally, and to inform policy.
For more details on the forum, see www.franchise.edu.au > Forum. For more on Matt Forman, click through to his blog or see the Traffika website.
